The following is an amendment to the Men’s Rugby/SP Rugby Club conduct decision rendered on April 7, 2007:

At the time of the conduct hearing and subsequent outcome, committee members were utilizing the UW-System Regent’s Policy on Recognition of Student Organizations as a basis for their decision-making. Further review of the policy, and specifically of Title IX, has resulted in an administrative change in the original committee decision.

The organization currently known as the SP Men’s Rugby Football remains suspended until July 1, 2008. All other sanctions related to the men’s team are also in effect.

The SP Women’s Rugby Football Team will no longer be impacted by the sanctions listed on April 7, 2007.

Title IX allows for the separation of a student organization or club that is involved in a competitive contact sport such as the Men’s and Women’s Rugby teams. It is recommended that the SP Men’s Rugby Football Team and the Women’s Rugby Football team remain as separate entities and not join memberships. The Student Government Association Budget Director will be notified of this change in organization status and would ask that selected members of the Women’s Rugby Team meet with the Budget Director over the summer to adjust funding from the proposed merged group, back to the Women’s organization. Their constitution shall stay on file and no changes are needed to this document.

Further research will be conducted during the summer to further understand the implications of this policy and segregated fee funding to affected student organizations.

Thank you for your patience as this process has unfolded.

We raised our voices, did our homework, didn’t take no as an answer. Dug in. Great Job! And Well Done to my college team for standing up for themselves.

ADDED: Here is my original letter after I found out that our team was facing suspension through no fault of their own:

I am writing to you both on behalf of the UW-Stevens Point Women’s Rugby Club and ask you to reconsider the recent decision to suspend the Women’s Rugby Club from campus starting July 1, 2007 due to the poor decisions of the Men’s Rugby Club.

As a UW-Stevens Point alum, honors graduate (class of 2000) and former Women’s Rugby Club officer and player, I was truly saddened to learn the fate of the Women’s Rugby Club from current president XXX.

This club was started by smart and athletic women who played rugby with pride and worked hard to best represent UW-Stevens Point. In recent years, the club has stepped above and beyond their clubs sports and rugby peers at UWSP and other universities in the state by building a team that played exceptionally good rugby, excelled both on the field and in the classroom and broke away from the negative stereotypes of college athletics.

The UWSP Women’s Rugby Club provided me with so many wonderful memories and experiences while working towards my bachelor’s degree. This club was a sisterhood of women who worked and played together to excel at UWSP and continues to be one of the top collegiate women’s rugby clubs in Wisconsin and the Midwest. I am very proud to say that I played for this team in college.

As a continuing Division I senior women’s rugby athlete and coach, I have had the honor of returning to Stevens Point to help current players in practices and even helping coach the Point Women at a recent tournament. This team counts among its roster several Wisconsin All-Star athletes, Midwest All-Stars and a USA Rugby Women’s National Team player. How many of the varsity athletes at UW-Stevens Point can count themselves as members of a U.S. national team?

I urge you to revisit the decisions made to suspend the Women’s Rugby Club from campus. Do not punish this group of dedicated student-athletes for the stupid and reckless decisions of other students simply because both groups happen to play the same sport.

UWSP is supposed to “offer our students many opportunities for leadership and service, but, most importantly we provide a supportive and lively environment for studying and learning” according to Chancellor XXX’s mission statement on the campus website (…). By suspending the Women’s Rugby Club from campus, you are surely taking away the opportunity for these women to be leaders and student-athletes.

I would be happy to discuss this further or any other issues related to the Women’s Rugby Club. You can reach me by e-mail or by phone at …. Please Help the Women’s Rugby Club continue to play rugby on the UWSP campus.